June 18, 2013

Our Wedding: Ceremony

Growing up, I always knew I would get married in the Catholic Church. So, when Will and I became engaged I knew we would be married at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson, Miss. The Cathedral went under a full renovation just a year ago, and the space was absolutely stunning. We could not have picked a more perfectly beautiful location.

When I arrived at the Cathedral with my parents, there were a group of groomsmen standing outside. Will and I chose not to see each other before the ceremony, so I was secretly hoping to catch peak. This was not the case, but it was still calming to see how handsome they looked in their tuxes. Before this point I was not nervous. Arriving at the Cathedral made it all see very real, this was my wedding day.

Before the ceremony we took formal pictures, and spent the rest of our time in separate waiting rooms. This was when I became extremely nervous. I was not nervous about marrying Will, but about walking down the aisle in front of hundreds of people. It was not until I was about to walk down the aisle did I feel at ease. Listening to our prelude Ave Maria, with my bridesmaids, and my Dad by my side, I was ready.

I fought tears as I processed down the aisle to Trumpet Voluntary, the same song my parents played at their wedding. I remember select faces, because every time I looked at Will the lump in my throat became bigger. We had a traditional catholic wedding ceremony. My cousins said readings from Genesis 1: 26-28 and John 4: 7-12, followed by a lovely homily from our priest, The Very Reverend Anthony Quyet Nguyen. We said our statement of intentions, then exchanged vows, and proceeded back down the aisle to Hornpipe.

It was amazing how quickly it happened. Will and I had a few brief minutes to ourselves outside the Cathedral before we were whisked away to take more pictures. After that, we hopped on a trolley to our reception. The best day of my life was really just starting.